Scientists from Kunming University (South Korea) found that drinking green tea is associated with longer telomeres, and their shortening occurs with aging. Research published scientific reports.
The study included 1952 people. They went through a comprehensive medical examination and also answered a nutrition and lifestyle questionnaire. Telomere lengths were measured in leukocytes, cells of the human immune system.
The participants with the shortest telomeres were mostly male, smoked, and consumed less green tea than the other patients. Overall, scientists have shown that green tea consumption is associated with longer telomeres in patients under the age of 65.
The scientists’ data could mean that the use of green tea can slow biological aging. However, further studies involving participants of different nationalities and ages are needed to confirm such results.
Studies have shown that telomeres, the ends of chromosomes, play an important role in protecting the ends of human chromosomes from fusion and degradation. Cell division causes telomeres to shorten, which puts the cell at risk of being unprotected. Recent studies have shown that telomere length in leukocytes can serve as a marker of biological aging and is associated with hypertension, obesity, cardiovascular disease, cancer, dementia, and diabetes mellitus.